Category Academics

In this photo, Seminole State College President's Leadership Class students listen to a presentation from Allegiant Land Services' "land man" and Development Director Destinee Weeks.

SSC Leadership Class Explores OK’s Wind Energy

Josh Hutton

Seminole State College President’s Leadership Class students traveled to Seiling, OK, on Oct. 23 to learn about renewable energy and tour an operating wind farm. The trip provided students with exposure to Oklahoma’s growing wind energy sector as well as other energy sources in the state. During the visit, students heard from Allegiant Land Services’ “land man” and Development Director Destinee Weeks, who explained the process of securing land rights and negotiating agreements with property owners for wind energy development. The presentation highlighted the business and legal aspects of renewable energy projects and their impact on rural communities. The PLC students also went on site to a wind farm to hear from a wind turbine technician. Several students had the opportunity to tour an operating wind turbine

Prospective Students Explore Physical Therapy at SSC Meet and Greet

Josh Hutton
In this photo, Seminole State College Physical Therapist Assistant program Director Shakira Stafford talks with prospective students inside the PTA lab housed at Gordon Cooper Technology Center during the College’s in-person meet and greet on Oct. 20.

Seminole State College Physical Therapist Assistant program Director Shakira Stafford talks with prospective students inside the PTA lab housed at Gordon Cooper Technology Center during the College’s in-person meet and greet on Oct. 20. Attendees met faculty and current students, learned about curriculum, clinical education, financial aid and explored career opportunities.

Junk Journaling, Memoir Writing Courses Set for This Month at SSC

Josh Hutton
Jamie Worthley
Jamie Worthley
Paul Juhasz
Paul Juhasz

Seminole State College will launch two eight-week, for-credit courses in October designed to help students explore and preserve personal history through hands-on creativity and storytelling.

Self-Identity Through Junk Journaling (course code: ART 2301) begins Tuesday, Oct. 14, and meets 6-7:40 p.m. Tuesdays at the Seminole Arts Center, 139 N. Main St. The course is taught by Jamie Worthley, Assistant Professor of English. Through guided prompts, reflective exercises and creative exploration with found materials, students will build personalized journals capturing memories, values and dreams. No art experience is required, and most supplies are provided. The course fee is $100.

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Transfer Fair Connects SSC Students with Next-Step Opportunities

Josh Hutton
In this photo, two Seminole State College students are pictured speaking with a representative from the University of Central Oklahoma at the Transfer Fair on Oct. 1.

Seminole State College hosted a College Transfer Fair on Oct. 1 in Tanner Hall on campus. Students were able to speak with representatives from the University of Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, the University of Oklahoma College of Engineering, Oklahoma Baptist University, Oklahoma State University, East Central University, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, the University of Central Oklahoma, Grand Canyon University, BMO Bank, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Oklahoma State Department of Health, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Navy.

Veteran Attorney Irven Box Talks Civil Liberties with SSC Students

Josh Hutton
In this photo, Assistant Professor of Social Sciences Paul B. Smith and Attorney and former Oklahoma City police officer Irven Box pose for a photo.

Attorney and former Oklahoma City police officer Irven Box spoke to Assistant Professor of Social Sciences Paul B. Smith’s American Government class at Seminole State College on Sept. 29. Box, whose nearly six-decade career spans civil rights, civil liberties and criminal law, along with TV legal analysis during the O.J. Simpson trials and coverage of the Oklahoma City bombing case, tied his experiences to the class’s study of the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments.

Constitution Day Event Draws Crowd at SSC

Josh Hutton
In this photo, Seminole State College Professor of Government Jeffrey Christiansen addresses a packed audience during the College’s annual Constitution Day event on Sept. 17 in the Enoch Kelly Haney Center Lecture Hall.

Seminole State College Professor of Government Jeffrey Christiansen addresses a packed audience during the College’s annual Constitution Day event on Sept. 17 in the Enoch Kelly Haney Center Lecture Hall. Christiansen’s presentation, titled “The Story of the Bill of Rights,” explored the historical roots, drafting and enduring impact of the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

SSC Expands Social Sciences Division, Aims to Launch Paralegal Program

Josh Hutton
In this photo, Seminole State College Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Bill Knowles, Assistant Professor Paul B. Smith, J.D, Assistant Professor Dr. Brenda Prochaska and Social Sciences Division Chair Jeffrey Christiansen pose for a photo following a meeting about the College’s Paralegal program, set to launch in the fall of 2026.
Seminole State College Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Bill Knowles, Assistant Professor Paul B. Smith, J.D, Assistant Professor Dr. Brenda Prochaska and Social Sciences Division Chair Jeffrey Christiansen pose for a photo following a meeting about the College’s Paralegal program, set to launch in the fall of 2026.

Seminole State College has hired Paul B. Smith, J.D. and Dr. Brenda Prochaska as Assistant Professors in the College’s Social Sciences Division. Smith, a former District Attorney for Oklahoma’s 22nd Judicial District, will help the College prepare to launch an Associate in Applied Science in Paralegal Studies in August 2026.

Smith served as District Attorney for District 22 — which includes Seminole, Hughes and Pontotoc counties — from January 2017 to January 2023. He previously held leadership roles in the office, including First Assistant District Attorney and Chief Prosecutor beginning in 2011, and Assistant District Attorney from 1990 to 2011.

During his tenure, Smith prosecuted major felony cases across the district, including a 2017 “no-body” child-abuse murder case — a homicide pursued without the victim’s remains — that drew state and national attention. He also led or participated in appellate and policy work related to jurisdictional changes following McGirt v. Oklahoma. He was admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018, authorizing him to file briefs and appear before the court.

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SSC Announces New President’s Leadership Class

Josh Hutton
In this photo, freshmen members of the Seminole State College President’s Leadership Class pose for a group photo.
Freshmen members of the Seminole State College President’s Leadership Class attended a reception at the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum on Aug. 26.

Seminole State College has selected 26 freshmen students for Class XIX of the President’s Leadership Class.

The leadership students, along with their parents, attended a reception held at the Jasmine Moran Children’s Museum on Tuesday, August 26.

SSC President Lana Reynolds opened the evening with a warm welcome to students and their families. Members of the college’s Administrative Council then shared insights about their departments and how they contribute to student success. Speakers included Dr. Bill Knowles, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs; Melanie Rinehart, Vice President for Finance, Grants & Enrollment; Jessica Isaacs, Dean of Instruction; and Marc Hunter, Director of Information Technology and Chief Information Security Officer.

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SSC Welcomes New Students at Orientation

Josh Hutton
In this photo, Students fill the Jeff Johnston Auditorium during Seminole State College’s New Student Orientation on Aug. 16.
Students fill the Jeff Johnston Auditorium during Seminole State College’s New Student Orientation on Aug. 16. The program introduced campus technology, financial aid and student support resources, and offered time to connect with faculty and staff. Classes began at SSC on Aug. 18, but enrollment remains open through Aug. 22.
In this photo, SSC Student Support Services/SSS STEM Director Jana Wilson-Byrd (left) and President Lana Reynolds (right) welcomed students as the New Student Orientation event began.
SSC Student Support Services/SSS STEM Director Jana Wilson-Byrd (left) and President Lana Reynolds (right) welcomed students as the New Student Orientation event began.
In this photo, Seminole State College faculty and staff are shown on stage performing “Pick Your Professor,” a game-show skit where a student interviews professors to find the best fit for their learning style.
“Pick Your Professor,” a game-show skit where a student interviews professors to find the best fit for their learning style, takes the stage during New Student Orientation on Aug. 16. Pictured, from left: Director of Communications Josh Hutton, Student Support Services Tutor Shannon Bennett, Assistant Professor of Business and Education Brad Schatzel, Student Support Services Advisor Megan Goff and Director of Community Relations Kim Pringle.